2013 Cadillac CTS Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CTS years
- Fewer complaints than other years 10th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Cadillac CTS. That ranks 10th out of 17 CTS model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (26 complaints, 36%), typically at around 14,000 miles. Complaints mention 10 crashes, 8 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 73owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 10complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Cadillac CTS problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 26 | 36% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 18% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 11 | 15% | 56,226 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 14% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 10% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 10% | 33,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 10% | 28,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 8% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 7% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 7% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 4% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 8,346 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Cadillac CTS recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short.
Risk: If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMÂs number for this recall is 14515.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 2, 2014 that they are recalling 554,328 model year 2003-2014 Cadillac CTS vehicles manufactured August 16, 2001, to April 28, 2014, and 2004-2006 Cadillac SRX vehicles manufactured March 20, 2003, to August 11, 2006. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 15, 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14172.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I went to get my car checked at the mechanic because the suspension was making noise. I thought it was the struts which I coudnt change because Cadillac does not make the parts any longer. They found my frame is actually cracked and are charging $3k to fix! They told me to not drive it, imagine how…
My 2013 has only 75k miles on it and all the dash lights flash and the car fails every couple of days. It has a brand new battery but the gauges on the dash continue to dance. Iâm not sure what the problem is but itâs a huge safety factor in drivability.
driving to work on very busy highway. The engine light and Service Battery charging system came on, then went to battery saver almost instantly. Radio cut off, heat cutt off and the Car cut off in the middle of the highway before I could safely get over. this caused me to fear for my life as the…
I noticed that on the dash a message that service is needed on one of the airbags. I then scheduled appointment to have the problem corrected. I was informed by the dealershipâ service department that I need a passenger airbag replacement on the passenger side of the car, and they also informed…
The contact owns a 2013 Cadillac CTS. The contact stated that the transmission fluid was leaking, and the vehicle stalled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission fluid was significantly low. The…
Other Cadillac CTS years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 CTS | 10 | 0 |
| 2018 CTS | 8 | 2 |
| 2017 CTS | 27 | 2 |
| 2016 CTS | 31 | 4 |
| 2015 CTS | 48 | 3 |
| 2014 CTS | 146 | 6 |
| 2013 | 73 | 2 |
| 2012 CTS | 65 | 2 |
| 2011 CTS | 101 | 2 |
| 2010 CTS | 67 | 3 |
| 2009 CTS | 167 | 5 |
| 2008 CTS | 175 | 2 |
| 2007 CTS | 217 | 6 |
| 2006 CTS | 269 | 6 |
| 2005 CTS | 277 | 6 |
| 2004 CTS | 224 | 6 |
| 2003 CTS | 313 | 4 |
See all Cadillac CTS problems by year, every Cadillac model, or the Cadillac VIN decoder.
Similar Cadillac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Cadillac CTS?
Owners most often report electrical system, power train, air bags problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 26 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Cadillac CTS?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Cadillac CTS a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CTS model years, the 2013 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.